SB 11.28.26 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.28.26

यथा नभो वाय्वनलाम्बुभूगुणै- र्गतागतैर्वर्तुगुणैर्न सज्जते । तथाक्षरं सत्त्वरजस्तमोमलै- रहंमते: संसृतिहेतुभि: परम् ॥ २६ ॥

yathā nabho vāyv-analāmbu-bhū-guṇair

[yathaa nabho vaayv-analaambu-bhoo-gunair]

gatāgatair vartu-guṇair na sajjate

[gataagatair vartu-gunair na sajjate]

tathākṣaraṁ sattva-rajas-tamo-malair

[tathaaksharam sattva-rajas-tamo-malair]

ahaṁ-mateḥ saṁsṛti-hetubhiḥ param

[aham-mateh samsriti-hetubhih param]

Word-for-word

yathā — just as nabhaḥ — the sky vāyu — of air anala — fire ambu — water bhū — and earth guṇaiḥ — by the qualities gata-āgataiḥ — which come and go vā — or ṛtu-guṇaiḥ — by the qualities of the seasons (such as heat and cold) na sajjate — is not entangled tathā — similarly akṣaram — the Absolute Truth sattva-rajaḥ-tamaḥ — of the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance malaiḥ — by the contaminations aham-mateḥ — of the conception of false ego saṁsṛti-hetubhiḥ — by the causes of material existence param — the Supreme.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

yathā nabho vāyv-analāmbu-bhū-guṇair

yathā

just as

nabhaḥ

the sky

vāyu

of air

anala

fire

ambu

water

bhū

and earth

guṇaiḥ

by the qualities

gatāgatair vartu-guṇair na sajjate

gata-āgataiḥ

which come and go

vā

ṛtu-guṇaiḥ

by the qualities of the seasons (such as heat and cold)

na sajjate

is not entangled

tathākṣaraṁ sattva-rajas-tamo-malair

tathā

similarly

akṣaram

the Absolute Truth

sattva-rajaḥ-tamaḥ

of the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance

malaiḥ

by the contaminations

ahaṁ-mateḥ saṁsṛti-hetubhiḥ param

aham-mateḥ

of the conception of false ego

saṁsṛti-hetubhiḥ

by the causes of material existence

param

the Supreme.

The sky may display the various qualities of the air, fire, water and earth that pass through it, as well as such qualities as heat and cold, which continually come and go with the seasons. Yet the sky is never entangled with any of these qualities. Similarly, the Supreme Absolute Truth is never entangled with the contaminations of goodness, passion and ignorance, which cause the material transformations of the false ego.

Purport

The word ahaṁ-mateḥ here indicates the conditioned living entity, who becomes manifest with the false ego of a particular material body. By contrast, the Personality of Godhead is unaffected by the modes of nature, and thus He is never covered by a material body and never subject to false ego. As described here, the Lord is eternally infallible and pure.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Just as the sky is not affected by the coming and going of the qualities of air, fire, water and earth, or by the seasons, so Brahman is not affected by ahaṅkāra or by contamination of sattva, rajas or tamas, the causes of material existence. The jīva-mukta becomes Brahman. There is no good or bad in him at that time. An example is given. The sky is not affected by the elements, which desiccate, heat, moisten or contaminate with dust and then disappear, or by the season which create heat and cold. Similarly Brahman is not affected by ahaṅkāra, or contamination of the gunās which cause saṁsāra.

Personal Guidance

Sky displays qualities of air, fire, water, earth, and seasons passing through, yet is never entangled with them; similarly, the Supreme Soul, though existing in conditioned souls' qualities, is never entangled. The sky-image is restated for emphasis.

Reflection Questions

Where could I imitate sky in my own life — let weather pass through without entanglement?
What practice serves that?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io